BillboardwithRightCausepartyleaderportraitdismantledinUrals

A billboard with the portrait of Russian tycoon Mikhail Prokhorov was dismantled in the Russian Ural city of Yekaterinburg because it was considered a political advertisement, a local police spokesman said.

A billboard with the portrait of Russian tycoon Mikhail Prokhorov was dismantled in the Russian Ural city of Yekaterinburg because it was considered a political advertisement, a local police spokesman said.

The company, which placed the billboards in Yekaterinburg, dismantled them later as it considered the poster to be political. The company said the billboard has been safely put in storage.

Elections for the State Duma are slated for December of this year and by law campaigns may begin only one month prior.

Prokhorov, who was elected chairman of the pro-business Right Cause political party in June, has announced that his party aims to win the second place at the forthcoming parliamentary elections to the State Duma in December to become the second party of power.

Prokhorov, ranked by Forbes as Russia's third richest man with a fortune of $18 billion, formally quit business in July to go into politics.

Right Cause, which was established two years ago, currently has no representation in Russia's lower house of parliament.

In late June, Prokhorov also left the post of the general director of Russia's largest gold miner Polyus Gold.

Prokhorov remains the main beneficiary of both Onexim and Polyus Gold even though he has quit his executive posts.